Babylon 5 DVDs price drop

[uhohs]

the episode where ivanova had to finalize the contract with that one alien. lol.

 

[batmanuel]

If anyone wants to watch the beginning of the first season, AOL is offering it for free as part of their In2TV service. They don't have the really good episodes that came at the end of the first season, but it is a cheap way for newbs to check out the show before they buy the DVDs.

 

[RideFree]

Batman,
Sez that they want a pay per view????
How do you do this for free?

 

[batmanuel]

Originally posted by: RideFree
Batman,
Sez that they want a pay per view????
How do you do this for free?

It's free for me, didn't have to sign up for anything, just had to watch the commercials that put in during the shows. The Hi Quality version is even downloaded to my hard drive for free. I'm not an AOL subscriber or anything.

Not sure why you're getting thyis message. Is you Windows Media Player updated to version 10?

 

[rcraig]

Quote I cheered the most for:

"Only one human captain has ever survived battle with the Minbari fleet. He is behind me. You are in front of me. If you value your lives, be somewhere else."
Ambassador Delenn of the Minbari, Severed Dreams

 

[batmanuel]

Aside from the primitive CGI effects and some of the cheaper sets, the show has actually aged pretty well. It's hard to watch the President Clark/Nightwatch storyline and not be reminded in some ways of Bush/Cheney and the Dept. of Homeland Security. There are bits of story in the episode Voices of Authority that are almost prophetic when you look at recent events, especially the parts where the Nightwatch offical explains that some freedoms might have to be traded in exchange for proection from the threats posed by the aliens.

 

[VooDooAddict]

Thank OP finally grabing the 5th season.

 

[Bowfinger]

Originally posted by: rcraig
Quote I cheered the most for:

"Only one human captain has ever survived battle with the Minbari fleet. He is behind me. You are in front of me. If you value your lives, be somewhere else."
Ambassador Delenn of the Minbari, Severed Dreams

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Me too. Babylon 5 is a phenomenal series.

For what it's worth, I also couldn't get into the first season, and stopped watching after a few weeks. Then I stumbled across an early third-season episode, and it's been my favorite ever since. The first few episodes will probably seem weak at first. Once you've watched the whole series, however, you will be amazed at how much long-term arc JMS set up right from the start. I can't count how many "Aha!" moments I had when I started watching the series from the beginning again. Highly recommended.

BTW, I also agree the Battlestar Galactica series is very strong, and continues to show great promise. We'll see how it holds up as it progresses. It could challenge B5 for my top spot.

Thanks OP, great price drops.

 

[Vcize]

Originally posted by: cremefilled
For those who haven't seen B5, the writing for the show was truly novelistic. As an example: there are unexplained events in the very first episode that foreshadow things that happen at the end of season 3, with an amazing payoff. It was truly dumbfounding to watch the series at the time and realize how much forethought had gone into it. JMS clearly had the entire 5-year arc ready to go from Day 1.

ST:TNG obviously couldn't compare at that level. (Whoops! It was a time-loop / alternate dimension / alien impersonator -- so don't worry, nothing's really changed after every 48 min. episode.) ST:TNG did have better lead actors, though.

B5's plotline is very similar to Lord of the Rings -- except played out at much, much greater length.

The best B5 episodes are still probably the best sci-fi TV I have ever seen, although there were some clunkers, too. (Cheese factor, as mentioned above. But you learn to like it as you watch.) The special effects after season 1 hold up pretty well, though nothing like BSG today.

Pretty much a perfect synopsis here.

 

[Vcize]

Originally posted by: vetteguy
I couldn't get into this show. I honestly tried but found it dreadfully boring. Everyone kept telling me I had to "give it a season", but really, I couldn't see the point in watching an entire season of a show I didn't like just so I might start liking it. I do know a lot of people who think it's awesome, but I just wanted to point out that there are a few of us who didn't care for it at all.

By all accounts the first season of the show was miles behind the other seasons of the show, and quite slow-starting so if that's the season you started on that could definitely explain your feelings towards it.

I, like you, got a bit bored of it in season 1 when it was on the air. Later I decided to pick it up again (long story, dad's favorite show and he passed so I figured I would give it a shot) and I can't begin to describe how amazing the whole arc of it ended up being. I really feel like if you haven't seen it you've missed out on what good television should be, but can't because most writers are forced to rush things to keep their shows on the air and rarely (if ever) have a plot as intricate as this one planned out ahead of time.

 

[Chapbass]

In a sentence...i was almost in tears in the last episode of season 5.....thats how gripping the entire story is.....and i havent felt like that in a LONG time.


a+ series. Everyone should watch it all if theyre in for a good book.

 

[TheBrain77]

One of the best known facts about the last episode is that the technician powering down B5 was JMS. Always thought that was cool.

-brain

 

[yangchu]

The SAMS WHOLESALE in clearwater on gulf to bay has the sets for 35.00 a piece. I just finished mine last week. they had maybe like 25 random season sets.

 

[BatmanNate]

Back in stock, w00t!

 

[samduhman]

Originally posted by: TheBrain77
Story Arch wise.. B5 is the best ever.. however

Acting.. I would make a very strong argument for Battlestar. Its plot is up there but not near as complex or compelling as b5.. The acting on b5 is not done as well.. sheridan, ivonava, and a few others needed some more practice.. londo, gkar, vir, linear were pretty good. Marcus was good too. The monologues were great, espicially g'kars.


If you have never seen b5.. watch it.. The special effects are laughable compared to battlestar.. but keep in mind they are at least 10 yrs old, and even then arent that bad..

as for a synopsis of b5.. whoa.. trust me and others when i say it would take at least a 10 page thread to cover the first 3 seasons.. the last two would probably take another 10. Its a great story.. Watch the movies they made too. Specifically "In the beginning"

if you are a sci fi fan.. this series was a must.

The funniest thing is.. with all the characters.. everyone has a different favorite..

My favorite characters were londo and g'kar.. their stories were incredibly intertwined

-brain

What he said.

Plus B5 had an awesome story line that kept me rivited. Not many shows make me schedule everything around it.

About time it goes on sale. I just can't bring myself to pay over $50 for any dvd season.

 

[DVDdude]

Just to chime in, B5 was AWESOME. Entertaining, challenging, epic, great acting and characters, etc. SO MUCH MORE rewarding than botched/failed shows such as Andromeda, Earth Final Conflict, etc.

I love Trek also, but B5 was GRIPPING (like the new Battlestar and Lost).

 

[kaymin]

B5 was pretty good overall. However, keep in mind that the first season w/ cmdr sinclair is absolutely horrible. the 'computer' generated ships looked like flying rectangles and the effects were very cheesey. don't quit though, the last episode of that season is where it really starts the arc and begins to pick up.

The 2nd season is much better but still rather slow in the beginning. It really picks up later on in that season and furthermore in the 3rd and 4th seasons, which are excellent.

alas, the 5th season was pretty bad also. the whole long hair, homosexual psychic story arc was unbearable. they didn't know they were going to be picked up for the last season so it's really just addon material.

i really enjoyed how they changed the themesongs after every season..that's an added treat.

 

[Tweakmeister]

There are usenet archives of JMS posts available - they are a big help if you have questions about specific episodes.

I watched 4 seasons plus the last episode of 5 last year - this is one of the best scifi series I've ever seen (but it took watching it all the way through).

 

[theGlove]

one thing I thought was a waste of time/episodes was that whole thing with the doctor and his 'walkabout' thing, what was up with that. I dont think that had any conrtibution to the series as a whole.
Also, that blonde psi corps lady was pretty hot

 

[uhohs]

lurker's guide

 

[preslove]

The end of season 4 is one the best television episodes ever aired. It is very kafkaesque.

And yes, the 1st season sucked. I stopped watching it because of that, but started again after seeing some of the 3rd season's first episodes.

 

[TheBrain77]

The dr. Franklin walkabout episode was about character development. They all had their own episodes.. He just is not a popular character. Garibaldi had some non essential character development plots. Ivonava too. I just do not think franklin was anywhere near the same ballpark of importance as them. Thats not saying he wasnt important.. because everyone had a part.

Andromeda? HAHAHHAHAH.. the fourth season ending was just troubling.. then their final season was a joke. I really wish the original writers stayed.. that show got hosed. it was all about rommie.

-thebrain

 

[rcraig]

I think a lot of episodes on character development were commentaries on JMS' insight into the human mind. I could see a lot of myself and others in the side stories, many of which I probably got out of it something totally different than what JMS intended. I think that is a characteristic of a good writer - his plots were so deep that many saw and related to different levels and comprehended different meanings.

 

[SelArom]

Originally posted by: kaymin
B5 was pretty good overall. However, keep in mind that the first season w/ cmdr sinclair is absolutely horrible. the 'computer' generated ships looked like flying rectangles and the effects were very cheesey. don't quit though, the last episode of that season is where it really starts the arc and begins to pick up.

The 2nd season is much better but still rather slow in the beginning. It really picks up later on in that season and furthermore in the 3rd and 4th seasons, which are excellent.

alas, the 5th season was pretty bad also. the whole long hair, homosexual psychic story arc was unbearable. they didn't know they were going to be picked up for the last season so it's really just addon material.

i really enjoyed how they changed the themesongs after every season..that's an added treat.

Yeah the fourth season's theme is my favorite. I really enjoyed this show when it was on the air but I would always miss it. Finally last year I got my hands on the complete series and I sat my girlfriend down and we saw the whole damn thing in like two weeks, movies included! It definitely started slow; I was worried my girlfriend was going to lose interest but things started to pick up and we could not stop watching it!!

Absolutely BRILLIANT writing; I love how the story passes on from episode to episode, rather than being just a stand alone show like TNG (which is also great, we're already on season 7 right now!). In terms of the overall story from beginning to end, Babylon 5 is definitely my pick for the best scifi series!

anybody know if JMS is doing any other writing that is getting produced?

oh and don't forget to pick up Crusade, the B5 spinoff!

-SelArom

 

[imported_hopeless]

How many seasons did it run?

It's been so long since I watched any of the episodes but I still remember parts of some, like was when the <sp?> Vorlans <sp?> brought in Jack the ripper to test <sp?> Dylin <sp?>.

I need to start picking these up.